


pockets full of stones

by Pomfry



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Gen, Gladio is an English Major and Noctis should be taking politics stuff, M/M, Prompto is pining but when is he not, Road Trips, and is determined to figure out the crystal, but instead he's taking geology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21501850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pomfry/pseuds/Pomfry
Summary: "You all are horrible. Ardyn is my new best friend.""That tabloid reporter?" Gladio asks, looking up from his book for the first time. He raises an eyebrow. "Really? Before us? He's just as horrible as us.""Nay," Prompto interrupts. "He's worse than us. He'll bring you down constantly and sell your secrets to his stupid magazine." He throws an arm around Noctis' shoulders. "So, Noct, looks like you're stuck with us.""Dammit." Noctis grimaces, but they can all tell it's fake. "I guess I'm stuck with you three idiots."
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	pockets full of stones

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally posting something ffxv related ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
> 
> I may continue this but I may not so its marked as complete

"So," Noctis says one day, and all three of them groan. "What, you aren't gonna let me finish?"

"Your ideas, dude, are horrible," Prompto says, not unkindly. He lays a hand on Noctis' shoulder, expression grim. "They're always horrible."

"Yeah, well, my idea of doing geology worked out fine, didn't it?" Noctis sticks his nose into the air, offended. "I actually like geology, thank you."

"We're well aware that you like geology," says Ignis, a bit tiredly. "You bring random rocks to us all the time."

"Those random rocks are fascinating, I'll have you know!" Noctis crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes. "The one I gave you yesterday—“

Ignis holds up a hand. "You told me yesterday."

Noctis rolls his eyes. "You all are horrible. Ardyn is my new best friend."

"That tabloid reporter?" Gladio asks, looking up from his book for the first time. He raises an eyebrow. "Really? Before us? He's just as horrible as us."

"Nay," Prompto interrupts. "He's worse than us. He'll bring you down constantly and sell your secrets to his stupid magazine." He throws an arm around Noctis' shoulders. "So, Noct, looks like you're stuck with us."

"Dammit." Noctis grimaces, but they can all tell it's fake. "I guess I'm stuck with you three idiots."

"I'm personally offended," says Ignis, adjusting his glasses, "that you say I'm an idiot. Besides, who would clean up after you?"

Gladio laughs. "He has you there, Noct. You'd be drowning in dirty clothes and trash within a week."

"Prompto wouldn't let me drown." Noctis leans back until he's laying in Prompto's lap, looking up at his best friend beseechingly. "Would you?"

Prompto rolls his eyes, laying his hand down on Noctis' face. "Noctis, I would never let you live with me unless you had a cleaning staff."

"Uh, I do?" Noctis says through his best friend's fingers, as though it's obvious. "I'm the prince, remember."

"I'm sorry, did I not say every day? You have to have a cleaning staff every day." Prompto yelps when Noctis licks his palm and shoves the prince off his lap. Noctis hits the ground with a thump and doesn't move. All three of them look down from their perch on the wall. "Noctis? I didn't kill you, right?"

Gladio reaches down and pokes Noctis with a foot. Noctis groans, and all three of them nodded in satisfaction as Gladio says, "So you aren't dead."

"Of course I'm not dead," Noctis replies to the sidewalk. "But, dude. I thought we were friends."

Prompto looks down his nose at the prince. "Friendship," he says gravely. "Does not survive hand licks."

Noctis groans, covering his face with his hands as Ignis starts to snort, Gladio guwaffs, and Prompto cackles.

"I hate you all," declares Noctis, not sounding very royal. "I'm banishing you."

Ignis scoffs. "I wish you luck convincing your father to banish us."

Gladio grins down at the man he's sworn to protect, wolflike. "You would be lost without us, princess."

"I would not!" Noctis turns onto his back. "I would last at least a year."

"You're overreaching," Ignis deadpans. Prompto nods sagely. "You wouldn't last a week. You would order pizza and Chinese all the time and by the time the week goes by, you would be burnt out on it. Then you would attempt to cook and fail miserably. And possibly burn down your apartment. Then you would have to move back into the Citadel, which you would hate. And your reason for coming to college would be null and void as well." Ignis raises an eyebrow. "Did I miss anything?"

"I don't think you did, Iggy," Prompto chirps, swinging his feet. "He would die within two weeks because he couldn't get any water."

"I can buy water, thank you," Noctis grumbles, squinting up at them as the sun beats down on his eyes. "I wouldn't die just yet."

"Ah," Gladio says, closing his book and gazing down at him. "But would you actually buy the water, or be too lazy to get it?"

Noctis' contemplating silence was answer enough, and Gladio huffs a laugh, slipping down onto the ground and hauling him up. "Now that you've gotten your sulking out of your system, care to tell us your idea?"

Noctis frowns. "No. Not after that."

"Aw, come on, bud!" Prompto jumps down, grabbing his best friend's shoulder and spinning him to face him. "Your ideas aren't so bad!"

Ignis gets to his feet himself, grabbing his books and jerking his head for Gladio to get his stuff as Prompto stares into Noctis' eyes. "I," he says, "would rather disagree as his ideas typically get you two into trouble."

Noctis rolls his eyes so hard his head actually goes with it. "Ignis, you seem to forget that you and Gladio get involved halfway through and only stop us when we're in some deep shit."

"Oh," Gladio starts, "so like the time you and Prompto got stuck in a frat party and you two got so drunk Prompto threw up on the lawn and you sat there crying for five minutes until someone handed you some drugs?"

"And then you cried some more until Prompto finally called us?" Ignis interjects, books in his arms. "That was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Actually, it was mine," Prompto says, hooking an arm around Noctis' shoulders and pulling him in close. Noctis' head hits his chest and he doesn't even flinch. "A girl asked me to bring Noct with and who was I to refuse such a beautiful lady?"

"Yes," says Ignis drily. "However could you refuse her?"

"Right?" Prompto says breezily. "Of course, I thought we had to attend at least one party in our college life—"

"You've attended more than one," says Ignis, and Prompto waves him off.

"This was during First Year and both me and Noct were two little oddballs, thanks, Ignis." Ignis salutes him with a book and Gladio snorts, leaning against the wall they were just on, arms bracing him as he tilts his head back to look at the sky. With his open black shirt and long legs stretched out in front of him, he really left nothing to the imagination. And even though Prompto was not attracted to him, he could still feel his cheeks heat up because Gladio is basically the perfect specimen of human fitness. And he's an _English_ major.

"If you're done staring," Ignis says, a bit more hasty than usual, and Prompto rolls his eyes.

"Ah, yes, as I was saying. I brought Noct along and you two knew we were there and _then_ we called you two after I threw up twice and Noctis embarrassed himself thoroughly."

"Why you're my best friend, I don't know," Noctis grumbles. Prompto presses a big kiss to the side of his head and licks Noctis' cheek. Noctis squeaks and pushes Prompto away, and Prompto snorts a laugh. "What did you do that for?"

"Revenge!" Prompto declares, darting behind Gladio when Noctis swipes at him. "For licking my hand!"

Noctis wipes at his cheek irritably, narrowing his eyes at his best friend. "Revenge," he promises, "will be mine."

"Then I guess I'm not leaving Gladio's side!" Prompto sticks his tongue out, arms on Gladio's sides. Gladio rolls his eyes, bopping the younger on the head before moving aside as Noctis charges. Prompto lets out a short scream as he topples to the ground below, Noctis automatically cupping a hand on the back of his head as they fall.

They hit the concrete, Prompto groaning, and Ignis huffs a short laugh as Noctis lifts himself up. His hands on either side of Prompto's head, and they both freeze. Gladio takes a picture as he begins to cackle, and Noctis flies to his feet, starting to yell. Prompto sits up slowly, dazed. Noctis had looked...so good, is the thing. He looked so good, with his dark blue eyes staring down at him, his black hair soft against his skin. He'd looked good and everything Prompto has been pushing down for the past few years, ever since he woke up in Noctis' bed with his best friend curled around him after a long night of playing video games rose up. Ever since he realized he was in love with the prince, he's been ignoring it the best he could. There’s no way Noctis could ever want _him_ when he could have anyone he wanted. Prompto is just...Prompto. He’s ordinary. No way could Noctis ever want him.

He shakes his head, shakes away the thoughts, and sits up as he tunes back into the conversation.

"Delete it!"

Gladio holds the phone above his head, Noctis trying and failing to reach the phone by jumping. 

Prompto laughs, gets to his feet, and heaves Noctis up a few inches, using all his strength. He isn't like Gladio—he's built for speed, for agility. Not strength, but—

Gladio lowers his arm just slightly, and Prompto grabs it before darting off. Gladio makes a noise behind him before there's the sound of Gladio running full throttle for him, and Prompto yelps, running faster as Noctis screams encouragements.

"Prompto!" Gladio shouts, and Prompto swerves sharply. "Prompto, give me back my phone!"

"And watch you send out that photo?" Prompto laughs back, circling around a tree before shooting back to Ignis. "No way! Besides, I can't be seen in a picture by an amateur photographer! I would be ashamed!"

"Prompto, my sister was texting me." Gladio's fingers barely skim Prompto's jacket hood before Prompto puts into a burst of speed, darting behind Ignis. Ignis sighs, adjusts his glasses as Gladio slows to a jog in front of him.

"You can't get me!" Prompto taunts, and sticks his tongue out. Ignis sighs, turning around and plucking the phone from Prompto's fingers.

"You know," he says conversationally as he fiddles with the screen. "You all are children."

"I," Noctis says as he slumps against Gladio's back. "Disagree with you. I am a proud twenty-something year old."

"And yet," Ignis says as his phone buzzes, "you don't act like it.

Prompto snatches the phone back, searching through Gladio's text messages. His eyes widen. "Ignis!" he gasps, betrayed. "You traitor!"

Ignis smirks. "Maybe you'll think twice before doing something foolish next time."

Noctis pales. "You didn't."

"He _did,"_ Prompto groans. "He has the photo."

 _"Ignis!"_ Noctis lunges, hands outstretched, and Gladio laughs himself to tears as Ignis deftly avoids both the prince and Prompto, holding his phone above his head. Noctis jumps, Prompto climbs, and Ignis dances out of the way.

"Ignis!" Prompto wails, fingers straining. "Ignis, you can't just do that!"

"I can," Ignis replies, unfazed, "and I will."

"As the prince, I _order you_ to give me that phone!" Noctis gets on his best friend's back and reaches. "You can't refuse that!"

Ignis merely sways to the side and makes his way over to Gladio, typing on the screen with a gleam in his eyes that spells doom for both Noctis and Prompto, who have since fallen on the ground when they overbalanced.

"What are you doing?" Gladio asks in amusement, Prompto and Noctis sorting themselves out.

"Sending it to the king," Ignis says, shrugging. "They gave me decaf."

"Ouch." Gladio winces; he lives with Ignis and he knows _exactly_ how grumpy Ignis gets when he doesn't have his caffeine.

"Gladio!" Noctis leaps to his feet, dragging Prompto with him. "Why aren't you stopping him?"

"It's no use," Gladio says, huffing a laugh. "It's too late."

Indeed, Ignis has long since slipped his phone into his pocket, smiling like the cat who got the canary at the boy who is sunshine incarnate and the boy who hates the morning. 

"Maybe," he says lightly, "you'll think before giving me decaf."

"It was an _accident!"_ Prompto says loudly, and Noctis snorts.

"Speak for yourself. I did it because Ignis is going to die one day if he keeps on drinking Ebony."

Ignis smiles pleasantly. "Noctis. I just sent the photo to your father."

Noctis freezes from where he’s sitting down again.

"So you'd best apologise."

"I'm not going to apologise for being concerned about your health!" Noctis says, and ducks behind Prompto when Ignis' eyes flash.

“Don’t pull me into this,” Prompto hisses at him. “I’m not the one who switched it to decaf; I know better.”

“But his heart will give out if he keeps on drinking so much coffee—“

“It’s _Ignis,”_ Prompto says, expasterated. “I doubt he doesn’t know the risks and I'm, like, ninety-percent certain he makes sure his heart is okay.”

“I do,” Ignis says the same moment Gladio says, “He does.”

They look at each other, Ignis‘ expression revealing nothing and Gladio grimacing. Prompto whistles as he pushes Noctis out from behind him. “Wow, the tension.”

Gladio coughs awkwardly. “I mean, I live with him so…”

Noctis raises a finger. “Yeah, but how can you know? I mean, I practically live at Prompto’s—“

“No, you don’t,” Prompto interrupts with a heavy sigh. “If anything _I_ live with _you.”_

“Regardless,” Noctis continues, undeterred, “I don’t know everything about you and you don’t know everything about me.”

“You refuse to shower if we don’t have your face wash.”

“That face wash,” Noctis tells him with the long-suffering voice of a man who has repeated something time and again, “is from _Tenebrae,_ and is the only one that doesn’t dry my skin out.”

“You use moisturizer _anyway.”_

“Just because you used generic face wash and never broke out doesn’t mean I’m the same,” Noctis sniffs, and pokes Prompto viciously in the side. Prompto wiggles away with a shout and falls backwards onto the grass, whining as Noctis laughs.

“I had acne,” Prompto protests all the same, resolutely ignoring the way Ignis and Gladio are laughing. They don’t have to deal with Noctis being...Noctis. Okay, that’s a lie, but still.

“A single whitehead in all years of high school hardly counts, Prompto.” Noctis kicks at his legs and smiles. “Okay, but can I say my idea now? We got sidetracked.”

Ignis heaves a sigh, waving for his prince to do so. Noctis glances at the rest of his group, waiting for the assent. Prompto flaps a hand and Gladio snorts. “Don’t wait for me, princess,” he teases, and Noctis huffs.

“Whatever. I was thinking we could go on a road trip.”

Prompto sits up, bits of grass sticking to his hair. “A what? Is that even allowed?”

Ignis hums. “The war with Niflheim did end a year ago..”

“Yeah, but the wall hasn’t been taken down yet!” Prompto aims a glance at the transparent dome above their heads. “It’s safe but will the king even let Noctis go?”

“I’m sure that he will,” Ignis says, unconvincingly. “If anything, he will encourage it.”

Prompto snorts as Gladio rolls his eyes. “Listen,” the behemoth says loudly, “it will probably help foster relations with the other parts of Lucis if the Crown Prince is seen out of the capital. The king isn’t stupid.”

“Well,” says Noctis, “I knew that.”

 _“But,”_ Prompto interrupts, “that doesn’t mean he’ll want to send his only heir out without protection.”

Gladio raises his eyebrow then waves a hand at himself and Ignis. Prompto huffs. “Yeah, you two will be there but I was thinking like Kingsglaive, you know.”

“Prompto,” Ignis says on the edge of a sigh, “you are part of the retinue. You will also be considered protection and as part of of retinue you are considered a strong bodyguard.”

“Hey!”

“Hush, Noctis, you are aware that it’s true.” Ignis looks Prompto right in the eye as he pulls his phone out. “Not to mention the fact that the three of us in addition to Noct’s own fighting ability are oftentimes more than enough to protect him and each other.

Noctis grumbled under his breath when Ignis begins tapping at the screen of the phone. Prompto makes a noise like a dying sabertooth and deflates against the stone fence. Noctis reaches down to pat his head.

“It’s okay,” he says soothingly. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine.”

Ignis nods with the same confidence he does everything else in his life. “His Majesty isn’t one to deny his son anything, really it’s a wonder Noctis isn’t spoiled rotten—“

A short ringtone cuts him off and Ignis glances down at his prince’s phone. His lips curl into a smug smile and he turns the screen to Prompto.

“I told you,” says Gladio when Prompto groans and Noctis laughs in delight.

“Absolutely, my son,” Noctis reads, wrinkling his nose at his father’s habit of punctuation over messaging, “just make sure that you are prepared.” He looks down at his best friend. “That’s permission, by the way.”

“I know that,” Prompto hisses, then sighs. “Gods my camera isn’t going to have enough space.”

Another ding and Noctis squints his eyes. “And please tell your friend that I have just ordered him a new camera.” He huffs. “Don’t worry about that, Prom, Dad’s got you covered.”

Prompto wails about how he isn’t a gold digger and that he can pay for these things himself, really, and Noctis talks over him as though he can’t hear him.

“So,” he says, “how does Altissia sound?”

“Positively lovely,” Ignis says. “Perhaps we can go to Tenebrae as well.”

“Sure. Maybe we can see Luna.” Noctis pokes Prompto. “Hey, got anywhere you want to go?”

Prompto falls silent for a moment before glumly admitting, “Shiva. I wanna take a picture.”

Noctis nods turns to Gladio. “You?”

“Apparently there’s this old swordsman in the mountains,” Gladio says. “I want to beat him.”

“Alright, Warhead,” agrees Noctis. “So now that we’ve figured out where we’re going do any of you want to hear about my research on the Crystal.”

Prompto laughs and runs away. Gladio opens his book again. Ignis is the only one who stays. Noctis puffs out his cheeks but grabs his phone and opens his file anyway.

“So,” he says, “what’s weird about the Crystal…”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always loved! Also my tumblr is Pomfry as well so come visit (✿^‿^)


End file.
